Electrophysiological correlates of processing subject's own name

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Neurology

Background:

• Understanding the neurological basis of self-recognition is crucial for cognitive function assessment.
• Event-related potentials (ERPs) like MMN and P300 are sensitive to auditory stimuli.
• Patients with disorders of consciousness often exhibit altered cognitive processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the perception of one's own name (SON).
• To explore the potential of subject-derived names (SDN) as a reference for cognitive assessment.
• To establish a neurophysiological reference for evaluating residual cognitive functions in disorders of consciousness.

Main Methods:

• Recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) in 16 healthy volunteers.
• Compared ERPs elicited by SON, SDN, and tone stimuli.
• Analyzed MMN (Mismatch Negativity) and P300 amplitudes and latencies.

Main Results:

• SON and SDN elicited larger MMN and P300 amplitudes compared to tone stimuli.
• MMN and P300 characteristics for SDN were similar to those for SON.
• Distinguishing SON from SDN resulted in prolonged MMN and P300 latencies.

Conclusions:

• Subject-derived names (SDN) possess similar neural qualities to one's own name (SON).
• SDN can serve as a valuable reference for quantitatively assessing disorders of consciousness.
• This research provides a novel approach for evaluating residual cognitive function.